Pod Insights The Clark Howard Podcast 06.20.25 About Clark Howard + A Special Birthday Edition of Clark Stinks About this episode Today we celebrate Clark Howard’s birthday and the many accomplishments he’s inspired - starting with Clark’s own telling of his life’s trajectory into an ongoing mission of service. And in the second half of the podcast, a sampling of the many appreciations Clarkies sent in to celebrate him today. It may be Clark Stinks day, but on this birthday he comes out smelling like a high dollar rose bought on sale! About Clark: Segments 1 & 2 Clark Stinks-Special BD Edition: Segments 3 & 4 Mentioned on the show: About Clark Howard Clark Howard: Habitat for Humanity Clark.com resources Episode transcripts Community. Clark.com / Ask Clark Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 This episode is brought to you by Indeed. You're ready to level up your business, but the pressure to find the right person to make that happen is intense. Indeed sponsored jobs can help carry the load. It boosts your job post to help it reach quality talent fast. Cut through the chaos with Indeed sponsored jobs. Get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.
0:30 Speaker 01 Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5. Only at McDonald's for a limited time.
0:42 Speaker 02 Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.
0:49 Speaker 03 I want to welcome you to this special edition of the Clark Howard Show.
0:55 Speaker 04 Birthday edition, as if you're watching YouTube, we have our Yankee happy birthday sign behind you that we've used over and over again from the Dollar Tree. It's a little banged up.
1:06 Speaker 03 Dollar 25 tree.
1:07 Speaker 04 When we were there, when we got this sign, it was only a dollar. And it's a little beat up.
1:11 Speaker 03 Doesn't this feel a little self indulgent that you have a birthday?
1:16 Speaker 04 No, it's not my birthday. I did it for you. You didn't do it.
1:18 Speaker 03 I mean, it's self indulgent to me to have.
1:20 Speaker 04 No, because you didn't do it. We forced you into this. You think you would have done this?
1:24 Speaker 03 You know, this is always tough for me when you make a fuss.
1:27 Speaker 04 I know. I'm sorry.
1:28 Speaker 03 But I'm 70 years old today, which is, let's face it, that's not young.
1:36 Speaker 04 You look and act and feel young, and that's all that matters. You're an example for us all. And I know normally do Clark stinks right now. We're going to have a special edition. If you're a newsletter subscriber, you know what's about to happen in the second half of the show, special Clark stinks edition. But I thought before we did that, you haven't talked in a long time about sort of your history and how you came to be Clark Howard, have the Clark Howard Show. And I think it would be great for you to share that if you don't mind indulging me on your birthday.
2:10 Speaker 03 It always feels weird to talk about my past, but if you really want me to.
2:16 Speaker 04 I do. Sorry.
2:20 Speaker 03 I have a very, very odd, unusual life story. I grew up in a very comfortable life as a kid. I thought that my family was loaded with money because they lived like they were. And went off to college. And I was at American University in DC where I ended up eventually graduating from. Back then, we did have telephones back then, by the way. There were dinosaurs still roaming, but I was in college in the 1970s, entered college in 73. And I came home for Thanksgiving and I was still a teenager.
3:05 Speaker 03 I was, I went to college at 17. I was still a teenager, I guess I was 18. And there was something wrong in the house. I didn't know what was wrong, but there was something wrong in the house. It was just, just a bad atmosphere there. And my dad, after dinner, asked me to, to stay there. He wanted to talk to me. And he said, I have some terrible news. And in my mind, I'd already gone to that place and I was sure he was going to tell me he was dying. And instead, he said, I lost my job. And he'd been with the same company for almost 30 years.
3:50 Speaker 03 And I started smiling. And he was just really torn up about this. And, and as anybody is, it's a rough moment when you lose a job. And he said, what are you smiling about? I said, I thought you were dying. And then he laughed. He thought that was a riot. And I think, I think it lightened the feeling he had. But then he said, I don't know, there's money for you to go back to college in January, which was his way of saying there wasn't money to go back to college in January. And I was like, milk of what? Because.
4:31 Speaker 03 They, my parents had always lived like, like there was just money falling from the sky. I had no idea that they spent everything they made. And so I went back to, to school for the three weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And I went to the registrar's office and re-registered as a night student. Then I had to scramble and find a job. Got a full-time job. And this is not possible today like it was then. I was able to pay my own tuition from what I was making at a job. My tuition then was $2,400 a year.
5:14 Speaker 03 Don't know what that is inflation adjusted. Krista, do you mind figuring out what $2,400 in 1976, what it equates to today? 1973, that would have been. And so I was able to get a job. I was going to school in Washington DC. I got a, a job as a civilian employee with the air force and made what seemed like a lot of money.
5:39 Speaker 04 Okay, ready?
5:39 Speaker 03 For a student, yeah.
5:40 Speaker 04 Seventeen thousand, two hundred and eighty-six dollars.
5:43 Speaker 03 So seventeen thousand versus twenty-four hundred. So like almost eight times the cost. I was making seven grand a year and had twenty-four hundred in tuition. My rent was, I was splitting terrible apartment, a bad neighborhood with another student, a friend, and we were paying a hundred and twenty-five dollars each a month. I was able to live and pay for school. And I went year round, working during the day, going to school at night. And I finished college actually in three years.
6:23 Speaker 03 And because it was cheaper that way. And I then got a job at HUD while I was in school because they paid more. And then I wanted to go to grad school. I got a job at IBM because IBM would pay for my grad school while I worked there. And I was a bill collector for IBM. And that was a great experience, actually, being 21 years old, being a bill collector. I did that while I was in school at night. And when I graduated from grad school, I went to Central Michigan University for grad school. I then moved back to my birth home, which is Atlanta.
7:07 Speaker 03 And I got a job, this is crazy. I got a job as a social worker with a program for what today we call at-risk youth. People who were teenagers to 21 years old that were having a little bit of a tough time in life. And we tried to get them on a good path. And then, when I was 23, I founded an alternative school called Career Action. And I founded this because there are a lot of people who came through school and were out in the world. And they just weren't getting anywhere. It was kind of like a dead end.
7:50 Speaker 03 And so what we did at Career Action was we taught employment skills that were very much sought after at that time. And also worked on the basics, English and math, job readiness, how to dress for an interview, how to do one. And we got people out in the workforce. And Career Action no longer exists. It lasted for about 25 years, I guess. I was no longer involved most of that time. But then I did a complete U-turn and I wonder if I'm boring people yet. Keep going Krista.
8:26 Speaker 04 Oh my gosh, keep going.
8:28 Speaker 03 Cause I've only made it to 25 years old.
8:30 Speaker 04 Come on.
8:31 Speaker 03 Okay, so at 25, I opened a travel agency. Back then, 1980, the airlines were deregulated and they were starting to figure out how to be able to fly where they wanted, when they wanted, whatever price they wanted to charge because believe it or not, through the history of the airline industry in the United States, the federal government decided how many seats could be on an airplane, who could fly the route, and what they could charge. How stupid. Anyway, one of the great things that happened to unleash economic growth in the United States was all at that time in 80, we deregulated the airlines, the trucks, and the trains.
9:16 Speaker 03 And it caused a lot of disruption, but at the same time created opportunity. The travel business, I just believed was gonna come alive, which is what it did. And I was in the right business at the right moment. And we grew and grew and grew and grew until I was, I had five agencies and I was 31 and at this point, and I was bought out by these guys from one of the then three national chains. And they kicked me out the door. I had no idea they were firing me when they bought my business. And I moved to the east coast of Florida and became a beach bum.
9:56 Speaker 04 So you retired at 31?
9:57 Speaker 03 31. I mean, I, I call it retired. I, I don't know if I ever intended to work again, but I really didn't work any serious amount for several years. I piddled around, but I was just playing.
10:12 Speaker 04 You were doing tons of volunteer stuff, but we probably don't have time to list all of those things that you were doing back then, but I keep hearing of new ones.
10:19 Speaker 03 You know, also, I was, I was bike riding 20 miles every day, except on one day a week, I would do 45 mile ride. And then I was swimming two miles every day of my life. I was fit, man. I was really fit. And so then.
10:39 Speaker 03 I was just doing nothing and then out of nowhere, I got a call from a radio station. And I was about, I don't know, thirty-three at this point. And they asked me if I'd be a guest on the radio talking about travel. Well, I'd been in that business and they'd gotten my name from somebody. And I started doing these guest appearances. And everything that's happened to me since in media happened from doing those guest appearances on radio about travel in maybe nineteen eighty-nine, something like that. And then they made me host of a weekday show called Cover Your Assets, which was a call-in show about money.
11:23 Speaker 03 Because I haven't even mentioned, there's not enough time to talk about my involvement in real estate investing. Bought my first foreclosure when I was twenty-two and was involved in an investing partnership from very young. I learned about investing from my father, who worked as a young man on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and taught me in elementary school how to read what were called stock tables in that area. There was no internet, no computers. I learned how to do investing research in elementary school. Isn't that wild? So anyway, so I was doing this show and I was just having fun. It was just, you know, on the air.
12:06 Speaker 03 Wasn't really thinking about it as a career or anything. And then after a while, I was doing really well in the ratings. And I got approached by the big radio and television operator in the town. And they said, how would you like to do radio and television for us? And I said, well, I don't know anything about television. They said, we'll teach you. Little did I know, they sent me to Iowa. In the middle of winter to TV school and I learned the basics of being on camera. And I was doing radio at that point, three hours a day and TV I did four times a week. Now I do TV five times a week to this moment.
12:48 Speaker 03 And then in 1998, I launched into radio syndication and did radio syndication for 23 years, I guess, and was on around the country doing the Clark Howard Show. And I've been doing TV ever since 19, gosh, what year was that? 91. And I'm a TV reporter for stations around the country. And then we started Clark.com, was then called ClarkHoward.com in 1997, I guess.
13:26 Speaker 04 Yep, 97, 98.
13:28 Speaker 03 And Krista started what was then a webpage, not a website.
13:34 Speaker 04 Yep.
13:35 Speaker 03 And ended up being now COO of my company. And I've been doing all this and for all these years. And we started podcasting before it was even called podcasting. And eventually I decided to switch from doing syndicated radio to doing podcasts and the YouTube show because specifically I wanted to reach people anywhere and everywhere and not specifically in the couple of hundred markets I was on in syndication. And it's worked out really well. And we've got the websites and newsletters and all this stuff.
14:13 Speaker 04 Consumer Action Center.
14:14 Speaker 03 Consumer Action Center, which I founded in 1993 to provide free one-on-one advice.
14:21 Speaker 03 And is there anything else I should talk?
14:23 Speaker 04 I would just say like one thing I find, well, I find two things inspiring. One is that you always, even when you made very little, like you did jobs that weren't very lucrative and that you shared in the beginning, you always saved 50% of your take home pay.
14:36 Speaker 03 Well, that was because of what happened with my parents.
14:39 Speaker 04 Right.
14:39 Speaker 03 And when something happens to you as a teen, it's like kids that were teens during the great recession and their parents might have been foreclosed on or all over, whatever, those things stick with them their whole lives. And it changes how they think about money. And for me, when my dad lost his job and I realized they hadn't saved money, I came right out of college, living on every other paycheck. And right from the get-go, saving half of what I made. I mean, it was just, it was a reaction, it was an equal and opposite reaction to what happened. So I've always been about this stuff. It's very intrinsic in me that I'm into living on less than what you make.
15:24 Speaker 03 And I've always been a big saver because I wanted to be able to be in control. Because somebody loses their job and they don't have savings, things feel out of control, right? But the big thing that, that was really important to me is when I was on commercial radio stations, and I still do commentaries on commercial radio stations, morning and evening drive. But when I was doing the show, I did not want to ever be censored. And I never have done endorsements or commercials, which are typical how most people make their money in radio. I never did that because I wanted the freedom to say what I felt was right in my heart and my head,
16:09 Speaker 03 or had in my heart. And so that's an advantage I had because I had saved so much money, had made so much money, that I was able to say what I believe and what I thought was right. It doesn't mean I was always right, doesn't mean today that I'm always right. I'm a human being.
16:31 Speaker 04 That's why we have corax stinks.
16:33 Speaker 03 And I have my kids and my wife to always tell me when I'm not right.
16:37 Speaker 04 I'll also say, just to inspire kids who might be listening, their parents might be mad at this, but you weren't at the top of your class in high school.
16:45 Speaker 03 I was on a fair amount of academic probation and I graduated near the bottom of my class. I'm not encouraging that. All three of my kids have been good students, thanks to my wife. And it's funny because Lane graduated, what's it called, magna cum laude? She was not summa like Steffi was or Claire. Cause summa is the highest, right? Yeah. So my wife made one B from when she entered high school to when she finished college.
17:22 Speaker 04 Wow.
17:23 Speaker 03 And I was, if I ever got a B in a class, I was like,
17:27 Speaker 04 Yeah.
17:28 Speaker 03 What happened? I got a B?
17:31 Speaker 04 Well, see, I think you've done all right. So thank you for indulging us in that. I think it's such an inspiring story, truly.
17:38 Speaker 03 But you know what I really love, love?
17:41 Speaker 04 What?
17:41 Speaker 03 Is all the volunteer activities we've been able to do where we get people involved as part of our community, contributing to the wider community, what we've done over the years with Clark's Christmas Kids, what we've been able to do with our Habitat builds.
17:58 Speaker 04 How many Habitat homes have you personally sponsored?
18:01 Speaker 03 Well, with Lane, 104.
18:04 Speaker 04 Unbelievable.
18:05 Speaker 03 In fact, we're building right now in Tulsa, Oklahoma and in Atlanta. So.
18:11 Speaker 04 Pretty awesome.
18:12 Speaker 03 Love Habitat. If you don't know how Habitat really works, you're not giving anybody a home. You're just because the volunteer labor and the sponsors, you're getting a home at a lower monthly cost, a lower mortgage price per month. And I just love giving hardworking people an opportunity at the American dream.
18:35 Speaker 04 All right. We are going to come right back with a special edition of Clark Stinks.
18:41 Speaker 00 This episode is brought to you by Indeed. You're ready to level up your business, but the pressure to find the right person to make that happen is intense. Indeed sponsored jobs can help carry the load. It boosts your job post to help it reach quality talent fast. Cut through the chaos with Indeed sponsored jobs. Get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.
19:10 Speaker 01 Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5. Only at McDonald's for a limited time.
19:23 Speaker 02 Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.
19:26 Speaker 05 Low energy, unfocused, foggy? You might be dehydrated. Gatorade Zero powders have been scientifically designed to help improve hydration balance in the body. With a clinically proven electrolyte blend and no artificial colors or flavors. Great tasting hydration no matter where you're going. Shop now online or at retailers nationwide. Gatorade: Hydrates Better Than Water. Is it in you? Symptoms noted are signs of mild to moderate dehydration. Consult a healthcare professional if symptoms persist.
19:56 Speaker 06 Afternoon glare totally ruined my watch party for the big game. That's when my buddy recommended Blinds.com.
20:03 Speaker 05 With custom window treatments made to fit your style, space, and budget. Customers who shop at Blinds.com experience overwhelming satisfaction. Side effects may include a fuller, deeper night's sleep and a sudden urge to host the watch party again. Blinds.com isn't a medication, but it can improve how you feel about your home. Shop Black Friday all month long at Blinds.com.
20:23 Speaker 03 Don't miss huge deals dropping every week. So Krista, I don't even know what I'm supposed to say now. Am I just supposed to listen?
20:30 Speaker 04 So normally we do Clark stinks, but Clark stinks at taking compliments. And so I'm making you uncomfortable on your birthday again. We did a special call out just one day in the newsletter for people to write in for your birthday. And we had so many submissions, like hundreds and hundreds of submissions that I just, I chose some to read to you. And then we're going to show you all of them later. We have them in a special spreadsheet for you to look at. And some of these are super fun, so I want you to hear how you've impacted people's lives.
20:59 Speaker 03 I'm not dying of something you haven't told me about, have you?
21:02 Speaker 04 Okay.
21:02 Speaker 03 Okay.
21:03 Speaker 04 Here's the first one. I have to admit, I always wished to find someone like Clark to marry. Unfortunately, I'm still single and have given up on that dream. I'm frugal, finding it hard to buy anything that isn't secondhand or just a great deal. I have for years trusted Clark and followed his advice on so many topics, I can't name them all. However, the thing I'll always remember is that in 2008, when I got unexpectedly laid off from my longtime job, I called into the show and I talked with Clark. I had no idea what to do next. Clark, first thing, expressed his sympathy that I'd had this happen. He was so kind. He was just as interested in my feelings as my pocketbook. He gave me several steps I needed to take to make sure I recovered both financially and personally. I will never forget it. Susan.
21:46 Speaker 03 Thank you.
21:47 Speaker 04 Here's another one. May your special day be filled with happy memories, joy and peace. Also want to share a story of financial help from your team. I called for advice about my 401k and followed the recommendation. My money, a small amount, doubled just as predicted. Thanks for all you and your team do for others. Deborah. And here's another one from Christine. I truly enjoy your YouTube show and always look forward to it. I even listen to it through my earpiece while I'm at work because your energy and enthusiasm always bring a smile to my face. Your laugh in particular is so contagious, it never fails to brighten my day.
22:19 Speaker 03 Thank you.
22:19 Speaker 04 Very true. Happy birthday. Wishing you many blessings, good health and wonderful adventures. I've enjoyed listening to you since 1992. You used to do the Friday Flyer Travel Show. And because of that segment, you saved me a lot of money on travel. I had so many people write in with travel stories. Your advice even helped me navigate an airline bankruptcy that occurred mid-trip. I have many wonderful family memories from all of my travels and I have you to thank for that. In addition, your money investing advice helped me to achieve a comfortable nest egg as I recently retired. I've shared your advice and recommended your show to so many. The service you and your team provide is priceless. Thank you for looking out for the best interest of your listeners. With sincere gratitude, Jessica. Clark, I've been listening to your advice since the days-
23:01 Speaker 03 It's only women posting-
23:03 Speaker 04 No, no, there were a lot. It is funny because we have so many male listeners, but I'm going to get to some men. But yeah, women definitely write in more than men do on this stuff. A lot of men wrote in, but they were just like, "Happy birthday."
23:14 Speaker 03 Okay.
23:15 Speaker 04 "Happy birthday, dude." "Clark, I've been listening to your advice since the days you were on Headline News. You are a wonderful person to give us regular folks great advice about pretty much everything. We read your emails with tips like they were coming from a top government official. My husband even called into your hotline once asking about financial information for free. I tell all of my friends constantly after reading your tips. Well, my friend Clark says, "You're simply one of the most amazing people I've ever encountered. Thank you so much for what you do for millions and millions of listening fans. We love you. Have a wonderful birthday and know how much you're loved and appreciated. Rebecca." This one's from a guy named Reggie. "I've moved from Washington DC to Atlanta in the early 90s. Before I started listening to you in 1993, I could barely rent an apartment. Since then, I've lived in Oklahoma, San Francisco,
23:59 Speaker 04 Orlando, and now I'm living in a home I've just built outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. This is my fifth property. Thanks to all of your wisdom and guidance, you've changed my financial and credit path forever. Happy birthday to the coolest nerdy guy I know. You rock." All right. "From the time I saw I was a small child, I remember Mama talking about Clark Howard and how no matter what I did in life, I should always listen to his advice. Ms. Opal lived to be 98 and she was always a fan. I've carried on the tradition and before any major decisions, I always check to see what Clark's opinion is." And that's from Susan. "Happiest birthday to my financial hero. I met you after you had broadcast on the radio a round-trip deal to LA for less than $100. My husband and I took advantage of the deal
24:44 Speaker 04 and had such a wonderful time. I love your involvement in Habitat as I too have built within organized builds with Habitat since the early 90s. I hope you enjoy your day as you make my day sunny and happy each day with your advice and upbeat spirit." And here's one from Brian in Oregon. This is also a Clark stinks. "Clark stinks not because of his wonderful advice, but because of his youthful hair. As a mostly bald 72-year-old man with some residue of gray hair, you stink with your fancy, mostly black, full head of hair. It's just not fair. All my best on your birthday. Do you have any plans for your first social security check?"
25:19 Speaker 03 Yeah, I'm gonna save it.
25:23 Speaker 03 By the way, do you know how often people at TV stations say, how often do you dye your hair? Isn't that an unkind cut? I've never, I've never dyed my hair, but I do have gray throughout it.
25:38 Speaker 04 You have some, but you, you're good on the hair game. All right. You're like the big brother that gives advice you didn't ask for, but is always accurate and is always available to help you out. Thank you for being the big brother to so many people. Happy birthday, Clark. You are an American treasure. Rinda. Okay. Here's one from Lynn. May you have a happy memory for every dollar your advice has helped your followers to save. That would be a lot of happy memories. And then Craig asks, sent in a simple one. Have a great day. Splurge a little. Are you going to splurge?
26:11 Speaker 03 Yeah. You know what I'll do? Maybe not today, but I will, in honor of my birthday, I'll pay retail for my favorite ice cream.
26:23 Speaker 04 Ah, what's your favorite ice cream these days?
26:26 Speaker 03 Grater's ice cream from Ohio. So there are lots of Grater's flavors that I really like.
26:32 Speaker 04 Okay.
26:33 Speaker 03 Grater's.
26:33 Speaker 04 You used to love Dulce de Leche Haagen-Dazs, didn't you?
26:36 Speaker 03 Well, I do eat that, but, but there's nothing like Grater's. And somebody else may say, no, you gotta go try this ice cream. Like I love Amy's ice cream from Austin, but Grater's ice cream is my favorite.
26:49 Speaker 04 All right. Bill wrote in with this specific one. Clark, happy birthday. Thanks to you and your staff. I shut down my AT&T cell service and switched to Visible. With my three phones, I've saved over $3,000 in the last two years. It went from $186 to 65. Thanks again, Bill.
27:05 Speaker 03 That's a good savings.
27:07 Speaker 04 Clark, beyond all the financial advice you've shared with your listeners over the years, the warmth and kindness you exhibit is the most incredible thing you do. Your generosity of spirit you exhibit as you dispense advice to listeners keeps me tuning in every day. If I could, I would give you the biggest birthday hug for setting an amazing example of what a human being should be. Nancy.
27:25 Speaker 03 Thank you Nancy.
27:26 Speaker 04 After listening to your advice about travel insurance, we decided to add it to our plans for a trip to the Grand Canyon. We have taken many trips, including cruises, but never even thought about it before. We picked a company off of your list and got a very good price, never realizing how high the Grand Canyon is. After a 30-hour train trip to Flagstaff, Arizona, I got up the next morning for breakfast and promptly passed out. My lovely wife, scared as she was, got help and had me transported to a hospital. After many tests and overnight stay, I was released after getting enough oxygen to acclimate. The good news is, we did get things rearranged to be able to visit the Grand Canyon. I will never live down my statement that we didn't need the policy. Thanks again, Clay.
28:07 Speaker 03 Thank you Clay.
28:08 Speaker 04 And here's this one, hey.
28:09 Speaker 03 Glad you're okay Clay.
28:10 Speaker 04 Hey, you non-coffee drinking crazy man. Thanks for all the great advice over the years. You've saved me so much money on things from how to invest to how to travel. I hope you have a great but inexpensive birthday, Heidi. All right, here's this one. To a down-to-earth, funny, knowledgeable, and helpful guy who feels like a friend, I wish you a magically happy, blessed birthday, Deana. And then Dan wrote in with this one. It was a great honor to work beside Clark Building by Habitat for Humanity Home. Everybody was chuckling when Clark couldn't drive the nail in and kept bending it. All was fun and games until he handed the hammer to me and asked me to finish it. I have the utmost respect for Clark Howard as a man of honor, truly caring, empathetic for others, a visionary who sees successful paths and shares a bright
28:54 Speaker 04 future with all around him, and inspires everyone he touches to be a better person. Happy birthday to one of the few men I would follow anywhere. Dan.
29:03 Speaker 03 So Dan, I gotta tell you, a few weeks ago, I was at Habitat Building pouring down rain and cold temperature, and I was trying to hammer into hardy plank. Hardy plank is hard to hammer into in perfect conditions. I was pitiful at it. And do you know who came behind me and fixed what I had messed up? My 86-year-old father-in-law.
29:33 Speaker 03 Made me look pathetic there.
29:35 Speaker 04 It's pretty awesome. All right, here's one from someone you know. Clark, happy, happy birthday. We've known each other for many years. It has been my honor to have been able to help you eat and enjoy your birthday cake and ice cream over the years by keeping your teeth and gums in perfect condition. I hope you continue to floss, haha, and brush so you may enjoy many more years of cake and ice cream celebrations. I wish you well, my friend. Happy birthday from Kate, your dental hygienist.
30:01 Speaker 03 Kate's such a sweet, wonderful person. Speaking of people who have done great things in their lives, over and over again, she's volunteered to provide dental care in Haiti.
30:13 Speaker 04 Oh, wow.
30:14 Speaker 03 And in sometimes very tough conditions because of the civil disorder in Haiti. She's been there over and over again to help people.
30:24 Speaker 04 That's awesome. On a different note, this one came in from Ann. Thank you, Clark, for making thrift sexy again. Still got it, man. All right.
30:35 Speaker 04 Here's one. I'm not a big fan of weeding the flowerbed, but that all changed when I started taking my tablet outside and listening to Clark's podcast. One day, a moose walked right by me in the yard. My husband approached me saying, you're still outside? Didn't you see the moose? My reply, nope, I was completely engrossed in a Clark Howard podcast. Later, looking at the surveillance replay, the moose was a mere five feet from me. Nothing comes between me and my Clark Howard podcast. Have a great year ahead and happy birthday and many blessings, Clark. Suzanne from Alaska.
31:04 Speaker 03 Suzanne, I'm glad Bullwinkle didn't bother you and you were A-OK.
31:10 Speaker 04 All right. Thanks, Clark. I've been listening to your great advice for 25 years. My wife still likes to brag about how her cheap husband walked into the living room one day and said, how about Rome this fall? Flights are on sale. Just following Clark's rule of finding a travel deal and then figuring out why to go. Happy birthday to the man, the myth, the legend in our house, Clark Howard from DJ.
31:29 Speaker 03 Thank you, DJ.
31:30 Speaker 04 My favorite story was from a Wall Street Journal front page article on Clark about 20 years ago. They talked about how when Costco first opened in Atlanta years earlier, Clark got so excited that he filled up his car with several boxes of Pampers that he had bought at very reduced prices. Driving home, he couldn't wait to show his wife what a great bargain he had gotten. Her response was, but Clark, we don't have a baby. That's from Gary.
31:53 Speaker 03 That is, okay, Gary, that is not a true story.
32:00 Speaker 03 That one has lived on like a legend. And besides, would I have bought brand name diapers?
32:09 Speaker 04 No, I was gonna say they had to be.
32:10 Speaker 03 My three kids.
32:11 Speaker 04 No way.
32:12 Speaker 03 My three kids went through infancy in generic store brand diapers.
32:19 Speaker 04 All right, Clark, in your honor, I'm buying a dozen day old grocery cupcakes marked down to half price. Instead of that expensive little birthday candle on top, I'm cutting some free paper straws into one inch segments and lighting them with some matches I got for free years ago when restaurants gave them out. Happy birthday, Clark. Rob from San Diego.
32:37 Speaker 03 Oh, Rob, I love that.
32:38 Speaker 04 All right, here's one. I love this one. I've been following you since 1992. I was a single mom working as a nurse. I now have a net worth of $4 million. You are so right. It's not how much you earn, it's how much you save. Happy birthday, Clark. Lana.
32:54 Speaker 03 Lana, four million?
32:56 Speaker 04 Yep.
32:57 Speaker 03 And think how many people she helped over her career as a nurse.
33:00 Speaker 04 I know. It's such an unbelievable profession. All right, dear Clark, I wish you all the best in what's good in this world. Happy birthday. Thank you for helping my husband and I get through rough times when he was ill and we had piles of credit card debt. If it weren't for your website and helpful insight, I would not have known where to begin. I continue to use your site and recommend it to my children and anyone who needs solid financial insight. All the best, Renee. And then here's this one from Bonnie. Clark, no matter which episode I listen to, I always learn something new. Even though it may not seem relevant at the time, I store it away and it helps me build my financial knowledge. I was a social worker licensing foster and adoptive homes and I did a lot of driving. You kept me company while I drove to home visits. I'm now retired in part thanks to your advice on the importance of saving for
33:45 Speaker 04 retirement and the strategies to achieve it. Happy birthday and enjoy your social security check, Bonnie.
33:51 Speaker 03 Thank you, Bonnie.
33:52 Speaker 04 Happy birthday, baby Clark. May you continue to share good information to all of us. Long life and happiness to you. God bless. That's from Hazel. And then Mark wrote in, I love hearing about Clark's love of Mickey D's and his tips of combining burgers.
34:07 Speaker 03 I do that.
34:09 Speaker 04 That's another one. All right. And here's, I'm just gonna read this last one. Thank you for all your advice as well as willingness to take it on the chin for, in the Clark Stinks feedback lol. It shows integrity and that you're open to criticism. I appreciate your humility and your kindness, wishing you a very happy birthday, Clark Angela. There's so many more, but I know you've probably had enough, like, but we are gonna show them all to you.
34:31 Speaker 03 Well, I want to thank all of you. Every day, I have the privilege of having people come up and talk to me and tell me stories. And I appreciate more than you know the gratitude, but what I really appreciate is hearing where you've been able to take stuff you've heard or learned and empower yourself in your own life. I mean, that's why we're here. That's why I'm here. That's why we do this besides having fun. I really want, in a time that so often we feel powerless, things feel out of control.
35:11 Speaker 03 We deal with these large impersonal companies and organizations and government that we have more power than we realize in our own lives. And if there's anything I can do is inspire you to have the confidence to be the boss of your own life. And I want to thank, as embarrassing it is for me to hear, I want to thank everyone who took the time to write a nice message. And I look forward, Krista, to reading all the many others that you weren't able to read. I also feel weird because this feels like, like I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing, which is serving you.
35:56 Speaker 04 We'll get back at it on Monday.
35:58 Speaker 03 Okay.
35:59 Speaker 04 How's that? You can enjoy your birthday weekend.
36:01 Speaker 03 Thank you very much, Krista. And I can't wait to have some day old cake.
36:06 Speaker 04 Awesome.
36:08 Speaker 03 And I hope that you have an absolutely fantastic weekend. And thank you for being part of this supportive community, one to another. And we'll see you Monday.
36:26 Speaker 01 Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash brown and a small coffee for just $5. Only at McDonald's for a limited time.
36:38 Speaker 02 Price and participation may vary. Promotion pricing may be lower than meal pricing.
Previous 06.18.25 Summer Power Bills / Take Your Vacation! Next 06.23.25 Housing Market Update / New Considerations for A Vehicle Purchase Page updated November 7, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated
